Interleukin (IL)-6, a T-cell-derived cytokine that promotes the maturation of B cells into antibody-secreting cells, involves multiple biological activities and plays a critical role in innate and acquired immune responses, cancer progression and metastasis, inflammatory reactions, as well as osteoclast generation 10, and is well recognized as an important proinflammatory cytokine during RA progression 11, 12. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and rheumatoid arthritis.